


I’m Not Dead Just Floating

by tealeavesandtrash



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, M/M, Minor Violence, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:20:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29389038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tealeavesandtrash/pseuds/tealeavesandtrash
Summary: Enklave Fest 87: Reincarnation AUDave’s eyebrows furrow at that name, it sounds familiar but he can’t pinpoint where he knows it from. “Hargreeves,” he echoes, “do I know them?”Or: The five times Dave couldn't quite remember who Klaus was, and the one time he did
Relationships: Klaus Hargreeves/David "Dave" Katz
Comments: 28
Kudos: 74
Collections: EnKlave Fest 2021





	I’m Not Dead Just Floating

**Author's Note:**

> My original concept for this was a police!AU but ACAB & two black men were killed by cops in my area so I really didn't feel comfortable writing cop!Dave. But I did really like some of the interactions I had planned switched it up to public defender!Dave who is still actively involved in the police business but also gets to say fuck the police on the reg  
> (Please bear in mind all my knowledge on this comes from season 2 of B99 soo...)

“Hey there, traitor.”

Dave glances up from his half-finished beer at Patch’s voice. The two of them had met years ago - back when Dave had still been a paralegal at the DA’s office and Patch was just a beat cop fresh out of the academy. The nickname had started when he’d decided to transfer to the public defender's office and had stuck ever since.

“Are you ever going to drop that?” He asks as Patch slides into the booth opposite him.

She shrugs, taking a sip of her own drink. “Probably not, are you going to stop getting criminals off?”

“Are you going to stop arresting innocent people?” Dave counters with a smirk.

Patch just rolls her eyes but gives him a small cheers with her glass. 

“So how’s work going?” Dave asks after a moment.

Patch groans at the question, rubbing her temple in frustration. “I’ve got a string of open cases, no leads for any of them, and Hargreeves is doing my head in about them.”

Dave’s eyebrows furrow at that name, it sounds familiar but he can’t pinpoint where he knows it from. “Hargreeves,” he echoes, “do I know them?”

Patch shrugs. “Diego? Probably not. He was in the academy with me, has this vigilante hero complex a mile wide.”

Dave nods along, he doesn’t really know many of Patch’s cop buddies that well, apart from Beaman and a couple of others from her precinct. “Well it’s cool you two get to work together again. Has he been transferred?”

She snorts at that. “He’s not a cop. He got booted from the academy so now he likes to meddle in our business. Thinks he can do our job better than us and just ends up ruining half the evidence.”

“Huh, I thought I recognised it from somewhere.” The name echoes in his mind, he definitely recognises it from something but he can’t quite put a finger on it. It’s like a bizarre sense of deja vu. 

"You might know his brother,” Patch suggests. “I’ve done him a few times for possession, petty theft, low-level stuff like that.”

"Yeah, maybe." He might have heard Patch mention Diego before, but that’s not what he’s thinking of. The name feels awfully important for some reason, maybe it does have something to do with his brother. He makes a mental note to check through his old cases at some point.

Beaman ends up swinging by a little while later, and while Patch is at the bar Dave mentions it to him.

“Oh, you must have heard one of us mention Diego about the precinct before. They dated for a while and then were just fucking and I don’t really know what they are now.”

Dave raises an eyebrow with a smirk. Now this was something Patch had failed to ever mention to him. “How come this is the first time I’m hearing about this?”

“Because it’s Eudora and she’ll bite your head off if you bring it up.”

“Okay, yeah that sounds about right.”

“Mind you,” Beaman adds, “you remember that Umbrella Academy? They were both a part of that as well.”

Dave muses as he nurses his drink, “yeah that might be it.” 

It’s not. His sister used to love the Umbrella Academy when they were younger, but Dave had never paid that much attention to them, he was already in high school when they become popular and too busy with football and trying to overcompensate for his sexuality.

But then Patch is back with another round and the conversation moves on. Dave decides it’s probably not the best move to bring up Diego again considering the information Beaman laid on him, but the name still plays on Dave’s mind for the rest of the evening. It’s almost like he knows the answer, it feels like it’s buried deep somewhere in his mind that’s just out of reach and he can’t quite form into a cohesive thought. And as much he would like to move on, there’s something gnawing at the back of his mind that won’t let him give up, it feels too important for some reason.

And in all honesty, Dave really doesn’t have anything better planned for the weekend and this is more interesting than laundry. 

He sifts through all the paperwork he has at home, searches all the documents and emails on his laptop for any reference to a Hargreeves. He spends all Saturday pouring over everything he can find but at the end of the day, he’s just left with nothing more than a mess of paper strewn across his living room floor. He isn’t any closer to pinpointing the name since he first heard it but he can’t let it go. He’s just got a gut feeling telling him not to pass it over. 

He grabs some leftover pasta from the other night and throws it in the microwave. His gaze lingers on the pile of paperwork while he waits for the food to heat up. It feels like the answer is on the tip of his tongue like he knows what it means but he can't _quite_ grasp it. It’s not the Umbrella Academy - to this day he couldn't say many members there were, let alone know any of their names. The only other lead he has at the minute is Diego and his brother which have both turned up to be dead ends. Based on the impression he got from Beaman and Patch, there’s no way Dave would have forgotten Diego and he hasn’t found the name anywhere in his files so it can’t be the brother either.

The sudden ping from the microwave pulls Dave from his thoughts. As he goes to grab the food, he pauses before quickly grabbing a scrap of paper and scribbles down the name ‘Hargreeves.’ He sticks it on the fridge door as a reminder, if it really is so important something will crop up eventually, but there's no use getting hung up on it in the meantime. What he needs now is food, a bath, and an early night. Hopefully, that’ll be enough to put his mind to rest for now.

_Dave finds himself standing in the middle of what appears to be a military camp. There are soldiers and camo green tents littered around the large jungle clearing. Men are milling around, chatting amongst each other as they pass time between their patrols. There’s a strange sense of familiarity about the scene, to the point that it feels almost nostalgic._

_He has to find someone - someone specific but he isn't sure who, everyone looks identical in uniform and the dim lighting doesn’t help anything. He wanders around the camp as though he already knows the layout like the back of this hand. Occasionally someone will glance up from a card or their drink and give him a small nod. Dave always gives a forced smile back. He gets the feeling that he should know these men but he can’t put a name to any of the faces._

_And then Dave spots him. A messy head of dark curls on the other side of camp and Dave knows immediately that that’s the person he’s been looking for._

_The figure meanders through the camp, lithe body easily weaving around the clusters of soldiers. Dave tries to follow, entranced almost by the mysterious figure, but every time he takes a step forward the crowd around him seems to grow in size._

_He can hear people up ahead talking to him - some call him Spook, some call him Hargreeves. They ask if he wants a game of cards or if he has a light, sometimes they joke about him keeping out of trouble. Each time Dave can hear him laugh along, crack a joke, then politely brush them off as he moves onto the next group._

_Dave keeps pushing forward, forcing his way through the mass of people._

_Every step of the way he seems just out of grasp until, finally - finally - Dave reaches forward and grabs hold of their wrist._

_In an instant, the crowd of soldiers disappears and the two of them are left standing alone._

_It’s darker now and they’re standing on the outskirts of the camp, just on the edge of the forest. The person is only an inch or so shorter but the uneven ground accentuates the height difference._

_He stares up at Dave expectantly, his face is obscured by the night and shadows from the surrounding trees._

_Dave takes a moment to catch his breath, unaware of how much the chase took out of him until just now, but he doesn’t take his eyes from the other person._

_He wants to say something, the man is clearly waiting for him to speak first, but Dave can’t think of a single word to say. There should be a tonne of questions to ask him. Who is he? Where are they? What are they doing here? But every time he opens his mouth to speak, words fail him and he ends up gawking like a fish._

_Time seems to slow down. How long have they been standing here, has it been a couple of seconds or have they been out here for hours? Dave doesn’t mind, he feels unusually content out here, on the edge of the jungle with a total stranger he feels like he’s known for years._

_He still hasn’t let go from when he grabbed him earlier, but at some point, they went from Dave grasping his wrist to intertwining their fingers together._

_It feels … nice._

_And then eventually, Dave works up the nerve to break the silence and whispers to one thing that comes to mind. “Hey, sunshine,” he whispers in the quiet night air._

_And suddenly it feels like someone presses play on the scene. A sly grin breaks out on the other person's face, whatever Dave said seems to have done the trick._   
_He throws an arm over Dave’s shoulder, pulling them closer so their noses almost brush together and Dave can feel his breath on his lips. It sends a shiver down his spine._

_“If you keep undressing me with those eyes, Davey,” he murmurs as his free hand gently plays with the hairs on the nape of Dave's neck. “I’m going to catch a cold.”_

* * *

It isn’t often Dave finds himself at Patch’s precinct, but someone in his firm needed some files sent over and Dave will always take up the opportunity to swing by. He makes his way through the familiar building and up to the bullpen to find Patch pouring over a pile of paperwork at her desk - she doesn’t even notice he’s standing over her.

Patch raises an eyebrow, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I had some files drop downstairs, figured I pop by,” Dave answers as he pulls up a chair. “And I was about to grab lunch if you wanted to come along.”

“As much as I’d love to, I can’t. I have Klaus Hargreeves waiting in interrogation.”

Daves raises an eyebrow at the mention of that name again. “Hargreeves? As in Diego’s brother?”

“That’s the one.”

“Who’s representing him?”

Patch stares him down for a moment, they both know where this conversation is heading. “No one,” she says slowly.

“He needs a lawyer, Eudora.”

“He hasn’t _asked_ for one,” she bites back.

Dave grins and grabs the case file from in front of Patch. “Well then, it's a good job I’m here.” 

Dave isn’t entirely sure what to expect when he steps into the interrogation room. What he does find is Klaus, his head face-down on the table with eerily familiar dark curls spread around his head in a messy halo. His head snaps his head up as soon as the door swings shut behind them. “Well good morning officers,” he coos, grinning lazily at them. “How can little old me be of assistance?”

“It’s Detective,” Patch corrects. “And it’s one in the afternoon.”

Klaus waves his hands around flippantly, but the movement’s limited thanks to handcuffs. “Don’t one of you lovely fellas fancies getting me a drink?”

Dave glances over to Patch. “You can’t deny him a glass of water.”

“Oh I need something a little stronger than that,” Klaus drawls, head lolling back with a sly grin.

Patch scowls at both of them before turning on her heel. “Five minutes,” she hisses at Dave as she leaves.

Dave turns to face Klaus, extending his hand to shake, “David Katz.”

Klaus blinks at his hand before cautiously reaching out to shake it. “You know you're the politest cop I’ve met.”

“I’m not police, I’m an attorney.”

Klaus continues to stare at him blankly so Dave continues, “you know you’re entitled to a lawyer? I’m here to help.”

“I didn’t ask for one, did I?” Klaus asks slowly, confusion apparent as he glanced cautiously to the side.

“No, but I was here and heard you needed one.” Dave smiles warmly as he takes a seat next to Klaus, before skimming through the case file. It’s a murder, but they don’t have any solid evidence apart from the hearsay of one or two informants. It could swing either way in front of a jury at the moment. “Where were you last Tuesday night?” 

Klaus shrugs, “I don’t where I am most of the time Davey.”

His ears prick at that nickname. No one calls him Davey apart from - no, no one calls him that.

“Any idea at all?” Dave pushes on, “even if you only know the rough area, our easiest bet at the moment would be a solid alibi.”

Klaus stares off into thin air for a moment. “There was a rave in this old warehouse by the river, and then I went to my boyfriends - ex-boyfriends - at like 3 AM? He lives above that pizza place that shut because it had rats.”

Dave stares at him for a second. “That’s a start. If we can someone to vouch for you -”

“Yeah, no. Frankie hates me,” Klaus cuts him off. “He’ll probably throw me under the bus. I kinda stole a bunch of his shit when I left.”

Dave snorts at that comment. “Well, maybe don’t mention that to Patch. But did you use a card at any point, maybe the subway? Any little detail might be useful.”

“I think I got the subway, I don’t know, maybe I walked? I was super high.”

“Well it’s a start, that's the main thing,” Dave says just as Patch walks back in. He leans in close as she takes a seat opposite. “Just follow my lead,” he says in a low breath.

As it turns out, Klaus does not take well to just following the lead. He is a _very_ open book and once he starts talking, it’s like a waterfall of information. The only solace Dave has is that Klus hasn’t accidentally confessed to murder and Patch is just as frustrated at the situation.

“So let me get this straight,” Patch rants as she paces back and forth across the room. “You know the victim, when he died, what the murder weapon was, and how he died, but you weren’t involved in any way at all? ”

“No!” Klaus whines, “I told you, I heard that from someone else!”

“Who? Who and why would anyone tell you that?”

He squirms in his seat. “I can't say,” he mutters. They’ve been at this for hours and long gone is the care-free Klaus who was joking and teasing when they first started. Now he’s biting and picking at the skin around his nails, eyes glancing nervously around the room. Dave can feel his legs bouncing under the table.

“Why not?” Dave asks gently, leaning in close to give a small sense of privacy from Patch. “If it puts you in danger, there are provisions that can be put in place to keep you safe.”

“No, no, it’s not that. I just - I can’t okay? It’s complicated.”

“Can you give us a name at least, their appearance? Anything about whoever told you all this?” Patch pushes.

Klaus glances anxiously between the two of them before dropping his gaze to the table. “Nathan Wilcox,” he mutters under his breath.

“Nathan Wilcox?” Patch repeats in confusion at hearing the victim's own name. “He told you exactly how and when he was going to die?”

Klaus nods.

“Did he tell you anything else? Who might have been after him?”

There is a moment of silence before Klaus speaks up again. “No, he was looking the other way.”

“He was looking the other way?” Dave echoes, questioning the odd phasing.

“Yeah he was looking the other way when he was, you know,” Klaus explains with a stabbing motion.

“He told you he was looking the wrong way when he was being murdered,” Patch repeats in disbelief. Klaus just blinks up at her, seemingly completely unaware at how bizarre what he’s saying sounds.

Patch paces across the room a couple more times before spinning on her heel and storming out.

Dave and Klaus sit in stunned silence for a moment longer, Dave is still reeling from the bizarre turn. 

“At the very least he’s an accomplice. He knows too much not to have been there!” Patch rants as she storms about the bullpen.

Dave is sat by her desk, going over the case file for what feels like the millionth time. “I don’t know, he doesn’t exactly seem like the killing type.”

“I’m not saying he did it, but he has a criminal record, David!”

“Yeah, petty theft and possession. It’s a bit of a step up to conspiracy to commit murder?”

“Drug deal gone south, self-defence, I don’t know but he has to be involved somehow. Christ, he could pinpoint the exact time and location! I know he’s your client but how do you explain that?”

Dave sighs, running his hands through his hair. Truth is he doesn’t know how to explain why Klaus knows so much, but Dave trusts him. He has a gut feeling about the guy he can’t let go of - Klaus Hargreeves is not a killer.

“If he wasn’t the triggerman, the DA’s office can office a plea deal, heck you argue it well he can probably get off with a few years and community service if he gives us decent info, but if this goes to trial he could be looking at twenty-five to life.”

“Have you got an update on his alibi yet?” Dave pushes instead, he doesn’t even want to consider a plea deal until he’s certain he’s exhausted all his other options.

Patch just shakes her head, before finally taking the seat next to Dave. “Not yet,” she mutters.

They sit in silence for a little while longer before Dave finally speaks up again, “we’re not going to get anywhere tonight are we?”

Patch purses her lips and sighs. “Probably not. I’ve got someone going over security footage but there’s hours to work through.”

Dave lets his head flop back in frustration, every time they take a step forward with the case it seems to land them in front of another hurdle. “Are you done questioning for the day?”

“Probably,” she mutters. “I’ll put him back in holding and let him stew overnight.”

Dave nods in agreement. He’s exhausted after the interrogation, but realistically he’ll be up for several more hours pouring over the case, and knowing Patch so will she. “Call me if you get an update?”

Patch throws him a thumbs-up as she also turns back to the case.

Dave spends the next day going to and from his office and the precinct trying to piece together a decent case for Klaus, but it isn’t until the evening that they finally get a breakthrough.

After hours trawling through CCTV recordings, they’d finally found footage of Klaus wandering around near the club he’d mentioned. It’s timestamped to within half an hour of the murder and places Klaus on the other side of the city.

With no other evidence to link Klaus to the crime or any official charge, Patch doesn’t have much of a choice but to let him go. Dave ends up escorting him out while Patch throws herself back into the case.

“Thanks for all this,” Klaus says softly after Dave escorts him out, loitering in the street outside.

Dave just shrugs, “don’t worry about it, I’m just doing my job”

“No, not for this,” Klaus corrects him. “For believing me and sticking up for me when the cop lady was trying to bargain, most lawyers I have don't. Pretty sure the last guy forgot to turn up to the trial. But I also paid him in blow jobs, so probably shoulda seen that one coming.”

“I - what?” Dave falters, he barely has a chance to register how Klaus knew about the plea before being hit with that second bombshell. “He should get disbarred for that.”

Klaus just shrugs, like it's the most normal thing in the world. “Honestly I’m not even sure he was a proper lawyer. But speaking of, I should probably mention I also can’t pay _you,_ I’m guessing you don’t take sexual favours.”

Dave feels a blush creep up his face. “No - I, don’t worry about it. Public defence, pro-bono .”

“Pro-boner, eh? Is that fancy lawyer-talk for yes you secretly do?” Klaus giggles with a suggestive eyebrow waggle.

There’s a lot Dave can handle, but he’s pretty certain his brain short-circuits at that. He can’t deny the fact that Klaus has a very attractive charm about himself, but shamelessly offering to whore himself out on a Thursday afternoon in front of a police station of all places is not one of them. And he hates how easily he gets flustered about it. Thank god Patch isn’t here to ridicule him.

“I’m _teasing,”_ Klaus adds with a laugh when Dave doesn’t respond right away. “That being said, if you do try to get me done for soliciting, I have a new favourite lawyer to represent me.

“The bar was pretty low to start,” Dave calls back to Klaus as he starts to saunter away. As he turns back to throw Dave a cheeky wink before disappearing into the crowd, Dave gets the strangest sense of deja vu.

_They’re huddled together in a fox hole with gunfire thundering around. Dave takes a quick glance around before quickly ducking as a bullet flies by a little too close for comfort. None of the soldiers around him seem to have been hit yet, which is the best Dave can hope for at the moment._

_There’s a small snigger that somehow seems louder than the gunfire. “That was a close one, Davey. Can’t have anything happen to that pretty face of yours,” comes an all too familiar voice._

_Dave glances to his left, half expecting to see the same unknown figure as usual but instead, he finds himself face to face with none other than Klaus Hargreeves. The sound of gunfire dims into the background and Dave’s brain tries to catch up with what his eyes are seeing._

_And then a blast explodes and the moment’s broken with a shower of churned-up mud and debris._

_Dave turns his attention back to the fight ahead, peeking over the edge to see a team of shadowy figures lurking throughout the jungle slowly moving in on them._

_Out of the corner of his eyes, Klaus lifts his rifle and steadies it against the sandbags. Dave can’t help the plummeting sensation in his stomach. Something just seems fundamentally wrong about seeing Klaus poised and ready to kill._

_It feels like everything is happening in slow-motion._

_Klaus holds the rifle tightly._

_He aims_

_And pulls the trigger._

_Dave watches with apprehension as the figures start to fall back, but they’re not dropping dead. Klaus hits their shoulders, legs, arms. Not like the rest of them who just shoot to kill, he never unloads a fatal shot._

_And in the blink of an eye, the world around them fades away and Dave finds himself in a tent, alone apart from Klaus. They’re sat on opposite camp beds, knees brushing together in the cramped space._

_“That’s a pretty fine aim you’ve got.”_

_Klaus glances over to Dave as he speaks and suddenly they're alone in a tent, sitting on opposite camp beds, “If you think I’m good, you should meet my brother.”_

_Dave just nods in response as a comfortable silence settles over them. Klaus’ shooting is no fluke, which Dave can’t quite figure out. Regardless of the dread he felt at thought of Klaus becoming a killer and the juxtaposition of the very idea, they’re at war. It’s no place for morals or conscience when you’ve got a gun in hand and are facing down the enemy._

_Kill or be killed, that’s how it works out here._

_“You could be a killer shot if you wanted,” Dave finally speaks up, breaking the silence._

_Klaus squirms under the statement, like a school kid who’s been caught cheating on a test. “I’ve got enough death in my life, don’t need any more of those fuckers following me around.”_

_Dave just blinks in confusion, thrown by Klaus’s weird choice of wording, but he doesn’t question it further. He can already see Klaus retreating in on himself and doesn’t want to push him any further away. Instead, he just gently nudges Klaus’ knee with his own, “How the hell did someone like you end up in a place like this?"_

* * *

It’s a bit of a strange situation. There’s something about Klaus, something familiar that Dave can’t quite put his finger on - like he knows Klaus from somewhere but he isn’t quite sure where from. Although it doesn’t play too much on Dave’s mind, it’s more like a dull throbbing at the back of his mind - ever-present but manageable and mostly ignorable. 

The scrap of paper with the name 'Hargreeves' is still stuck on his fridge, every time it catches his eye it’s a sharp reminder. Dave has started actively avoiding looking at it, but it doesn’t feel quite right to take it down. He still wants to get to the bottom of the little mystery on his plate at some point.

Dave is normally pretty good at keeping emotions out of his work when needs be. He tackles the cases that come across his desk as best as possible, and when it’s over he always hopes his clients are taking a step towards better things and nothing more. But with Klaus it’s different. He has a soft spot for Klaus, which could get messy. Klaus has a rocky past, that much is clear from the string of charges on his record. Dave knows if he gets too emotionally invested in it, it’ll probably come and bite him in the arse at some point but he can’t help it.

Klaus is different.

It’s a miserable September evening with an uncomfortable drizzle of rain as Dave makes his way home. It matches his mood perfectly - he ended up getting held up at work late and he was stuck walking home because for some great reason he didn’t check that the subway repairs on his line were done before taking his car to the shop.

He's not five minutes away from home Dave pauses. A familiar figure hunched over in an alleyway catches his eye - a black fur coat and messy dark curls that he’d recognise anyway.

“Klaus?” Dave asks cautiously as he slowly approaches - acutely aware that he has no idea what state Klaus is in and not wanting to scare him off.

Klaus’ head snaps up, staring owlishly at him with wide green eyes - and for a moment Dave’s heart sinks with a pang of worry that Klaus doesn’t remember who he is. “Do you remember me?”

Klaus just blinks for a moment, but in a split second his face lights up. “David!” he says in a sing-songy voice. 

“Dave is fine-”

“I know you, from the police Station,” Klaus barrels what Dave is trying to say. “You’re the guy who wouldn’t let Diego’s girlfriend arrest me!”

Dave can’t fight the smile that creeps onto his face at the fact Klaus does actually remember him. “I'm not sure Patch and Diego are actually dating at the moment.”

Klaus gives a dramatic shrug. “I can’t keep up with them. It’s not like Diego bothers to keep me updated anyway.”

There’s the slightest twinge of sadness in his voice that Dave picks up on, but he doesn't want to risk pushing the matter.

“Hey Klaus?” he tries instead, “how are you doing?”

Klaus lets out a giggle. “Well I took three mystery pills earlier and I am doing fabulously.”

“Do you have somewhere to stay? I could call Diego if you want?”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure Broody McBroodster has stopped taking my calls.”

Dave pauses, he doesn’t want to leave Klaus alone in the cold and wet, especially since he’ll probably be coming down from his high in the next couple of hours.

“Why don’t you come to mine?” He asks suddenly.

Klaus stares up at him, surprise evident across his face. “I - I mean if you want,” Daves stammers, trying to backtrack as the implication of his impulse offer dawns on him, “I think could probably get a hold of Diego, so you could wait at mine if you like.”

A small smile creeps onto Klaus’s face. “Yeah, okay then.”

“Really?” Dave is almost more surprised that Klaus agrees so easily, stranger danger and all that. Not that he doesn’t think Klaus can’t handle himself, but he was expecting to fight a little harder than that.

“If you don’t mind,” Klaus says, taking Dave’s hand to pull himself up. “Ben seems to think I can trust, and between you and me he’s normally better at calling this sort of shit.”

As soon as they make it back to Dave’s apartment, Klaus begins to nose about the living room with intrigue, looking at the pictures Dave has on the walls and fiddling with the books and nicknacks that fill the shelves. He pretends not to notice when he sees Klaus slip another pill out of the corner of his eye. Instead, Dave types out a message to Patch explaining the situation and asking her to call Diego.

“Wait, you have a bathtub?” Daves glances up at Klaus’ excitement to find him practically bouncing up and down in the way.

“You can have one if you want,” Dave offers.

“Really?”

“Of course, and if you leave your clothes outside the door I can shove them in the dryer.” He isn’t sure how long Klaus has been out in the wet, but if Dave’s coat is anything to go he’s probably dripping. “Just don’t go passing out in there please,” he adds quickly, remembering Klaus' inebriated state.

Klaus grins at him, “don’t worry, Ben won't let me drown.” Dave doesn’t have a chance to question who exactly Ben is before Klaus has closed the bathroom behind him - until just now he’d just been a friend of Klaus, but his last comment doesn’t make much sense.

Dave busies himself as he waits for Diego - takes Klaus’ clothes down to the basement, replies to some emails, makes a pot of tea, gets Klaus’ clothes when the dry cycle is done. 

As he finishes folding Klaus' clothes, there’s a sharp rap at the door. Dave isn’t sure what to expect when he opens the door, but Beaman once described Diego as a knock-off batman so Dave isn’t entirely surprised to find a man clad in black leather.

“You Patch's friend?” Diego asks in lieu of a greeting

“Yeah, I’m Dave,” he answers as he steps aside to let Diego inside. “Klaus is just in the bath at the moment .”

Diego just grunts in return as he takes a slow look around the apartment. Dave shifts uncomfortably in the quiet - the only things disturbing the silence are the traffic outside and the muffled sound of splashing water and humming from the bathroom. Dave didn’t want to rush Klaus but he had secretly hoped he would have finished by the time Diego arrived to avoid this exact situation. 

“So, David,” Diego says suddenly as he pulls a knife from his belt, casually flipping it in one hand, “what are you getting out of this?”

“Excuse me?”

“Successful career man like yourself, helping random homeless junkies on the streets, what’s the catch?”

Dave bristles at the comment. He isn’t surprised that Klaus doesn’t have a great relationship with his family, but the implication that Diego is pushing rubs him up the wrong way. “I represented him in a case when he needed my help, and I gave him a hand again when he needed it today. That’s all there is to it.”

“So what, are you going to screw him in return for waiving the legal fees?”

“I’m a public defender,” Dave bites back. He can feel the anger bubbling up inside, but he pushes through - he’s argued with enough assholes in court, he can deal with one in his apartment. “There are no legal fees, sixth amendment.”

Diego stares him down for a moment longer before finally returning the knife to his belt with one final flip. “Is that how you know Patch?”

Dave lets out a low breath and lets his shoulder finally relax. “Yeah, we used to work together a lot when I was with the DA.”

“Why’d you switch?”

Dave gives a small shrug. “Most people I work with aren’t criminal masterminds, they’re victims of circumstance. I just want to make sure they’re treated right.” It’s a vast oversimplification, but Patch had endured the many late-night (and often drunk) conversations about the matter when Dave had had his crisis of conscience and he is not about to unload all that on a guy he’s just met.

An uneasy silence settles over them. Dave watches as Diego continues to look around his apartment - a stark similarity to what Klaus had done, but Dave can practically feel the scrutiny oozing of Diego.

But the bathroom door swings open. “Diego!” comes Klaus’s voice as he emerges from the bathroom, instantly shattering the tension. “I thought I heard your charming voice on the wind.” 

He flits about in one of Dave's towels, with another wrapped around his hair. Dave can’t help a slight blush that creeps onto his face at the sight and quickly glances away to try and preserve Klaus’ modesty a bit. Diego has no such concerns. He just grabs the pile of warm clothes and shoves them into Klaus’s arms. “Get dressed. We’re leaving.”

“But I like hanging out with Dave!” Klaus whines, pout audible in his voice. “He’s fun, he saved me from jail! Did you tell Diego about how you saved me from jail?” 

“Yes, just hurry up, you’ve mooched off him long enough.”

Klaus grumbles and reluctantly takes his clothes, before turning on his heel and heading back to the bathroom. And a couple of minutes later Klaus emerges again in the same outfit, damp curls pulled back into a small messy bun. He does look more refreshed than before which Dave is happy to see at least.

“Have you got everything?” 

“Yes, Diego,” Klaus drawls like a petulant child. “Although I didn’t have time to do my hair _or_ makeup so thanks for that.”

“I don’t care, let’s just go already,” Diego says he herds Klaus out the door. It makes Dave smirk, the interaction reminiscent of his own relationship with his sister

Before the two of them disappear down the corridor Diego turns back. “Thanks for all this, I owe you one,” he mutters.

Dave just gives a small shrug, “it’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

“Yeah well if you need me, Patch has my number.”

_Dave is lying in bed on his side, cheap sheets rough on his bare skin, staring at Klaus next to him - lying on his front propped up on his elbows, joint in hand._ _"Do you believe in ghosts?” he asks quietly, like he's almost ashamed of the question._

_Dave shuffles into a comfier position, takes the joint from Klaus when he offers._

_“Ghosts?”_

_“Yeah, do you believe in them?”_

_“I don’t know,” Dave muses as he takes a drag. “My bubbe always believed in spirits so I guess, why?”_

_He glances over to Klaus who is staring at him intently, expression inscrutable. “No reason,” he says after a moment._

_Klaus shifts then, flopped onto his back and reaching for the joint. Dave copies him, rolling over to stare up at the ceiling, but instead, he comes face to face with the night sky_

_The two of them are sat outside, the joint how a hipflask they share alongwith a half-empty pack of cigarettes under the bright moon._

_It's almost silent. It’s never completely silent, not here, but this is the closest it’s going to get. Leaves rustle in the warm breeze and accompany the collection of snoring and snuffling from inside the tent._

_They sit In comfortable silence for a while, basking in the cool air. It’s unusually clear - the stars glitter and gleam, unobscure bar from a few wisps of cloud and smoke. Dave recognises a handful of constellations, but most of them he had never seen before arriving here. “They’re beautiful, aren’t they,” he says after a while, gesturing up to the sky._

_“I’ve never seen so many stars before.”_

_Dave steals a glance at Klaus. He’s staring up at the night sky in wonder, bright green eyes sparkling in the moonlight. Dave can’t focus on anything else - not the stars; not the knowledge that only a sheet of canvas separates them from a full unit of soldiers; all that matters at this moment is Klaus._

_“My brothers would love it,” Klaus continues._

_“Yeah?”_

_“Yeah, Luther loves space and all that astrophysics science stuff. Ben too, he used to know all the names and shit like that.”_

_The underlying implication doesn’t go unnoticed, but Dave doesn’t push for more details for fear of accidentally pushing Klaus away. “You must miss them,” he murmurs instead._

_Klaus shrugs. “I guess,” he says quietly. “I doubt they miss me though. Ben was the only one who stuck around and he didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter.”_

_Silence settles over them again. Daves wants to say something, but he can’t think of anything appropriate. He doesn’t want to ruin the moment. “I think they miss you. I know I would.”_

_And then Klaus glances over to Dave, their gazes finally meeting. Dave freezes, Klaus is captivating and he can’t look away. He can feel a blush creep on his cheeks. And as Klaus shuffles ever so slightly closer, Dave feels his heart stops for a moment._

* * *

It’s a bizarre situation. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle but he doesn’t know what the final picture is meant to be and half the pieces are missing. And the worst part is that Dave has no idea how to talk to anyone about it, not without sounding crazy. How is he meant to explain the weird dreams, always as vivid as reality, that only ever seem to occur after he crosses paths with Klaus. 

Instead, he tries to bury it deep down instead. If he doesn’t think about them then they can’t bother him. He can carry on with his life, go to work, call his mum, hang out with his friends, and pretend that everything is normal. 

And it works for the most part. The dreams die down and he doesn’t see Klaus. He ignores the problem long enough for it not to matter. He doesn’t hear from Klaus at all and on the rare occasion he crosses paths with Diego, the conversation never lingers on him. 

That is until he gets a message from Patch in the middle of the workday asking him to meet her for lunch in half an hour. 

“Okay, what's going on?” he asks when he walks into Griddy's to find Patch and Diego.

“Look. I know this isn't a procedure,” Patch starts (which is something he never thought he’d hear her say) “but were you being serious when you said you’d represent Klaus again?”

“Of course, why? What’s happened?”

“Not yet, but there’s a warrant out. Theft, public intoxication, and possession.”

“He waltzed into a convenience store and just grabbed a bunch of alcohol,” Diego adds.

Patch slides the casefile across the table. As Dave flips through, it does seem like a clear-cut case - there are several eyewitness accounts of Klaus (or at least someone who looks and behaves a lot like Klaus) wandering into a convenience store, breaking a couple of bottles, and leaving with an armful of alcohol without paying - but something catches his eye. “Are you sure this is Klaus?”

“Lanky, eccentric, stoned out of his mind? Yeah, that’s Klaus.”

“There’s a security camera across the street,” Patch elaborates. “We should have footage by the end of the day.” 

The witness report says Klaus had been wearing a crop top and had three tattoos - one on his wrist and one on each of his hands. But Klaus has more than that, Dave is certain of it. If he’d been wearing a crop top then why hadn’t the woman mentioned the tattoo on his stomach or the ones on his arm or back? 

Both him and Patch glance over at Diego when he brings it up, but Diego just shrugs under the sudden attention. “How should I know?”

“He is _your_ brother.” 

“Who I haven’t spoken to months! He could be covered in tattoos and piercings now for all I know.”

“Well regardless,” Patch cuts off and turns back to Dave, “will you help?”

“I mean, yeah of course, but what do you want me to do?” He’s still unsure of why exactly he’s been called to this seemingly covert meeting anyway instead of just passing Klaus’ case through the normal channels if and when he asks for a lawyer. 

“Given his previous charges the DA will be pushing for a prison sentence,” Patch explains.

“So, what? You want me to negotiate a reduced sentence?”

“No, he needs to go somewhere he can actually get clean,” Diego mutters.

Dave blinks, taken aback by the unusual request for a moment. “You want me to help you force Klaus into sobriety, with what? Court-mandated rehab?” 

“Exactly. Look, prison doesn’t work for Klaus. The last time he got out of prison he was bragging about it.”

It feels wrong almost in Dave’s mind to go behind Klaus’ back essentially to force him into rehab. This seems like something they should be talking to him about at an intervention first, but then again it’s not like he knows Klaus well enough to make that judgment. But if Diego is saying that this is the right call, Dave isn’t really in the position to argue. And terms of convincing a court, rehab would be an easier sentence to get than something like community service. 

They had been right about the case being clear cut - when the security footage comes in, it very clearly shows Klaus stumbling out of the shop, arms laden with three bottles of alcohol (one of which he drops and proceeds to laugh off before disappearing out of frame.) And Dave can’t explain the flutter of disappointment when he goes over the footage only to find that Klaus does not in fact have a tattoo on his stomach. 

It shouldn’t bother Dave, he tries to convince himself that it doesn’t, but he would have bet money on Klaus having an ornate floral design spread out on his stomach and twisting up to his chest. 

The rest of the case goes smoothly apart from that little hiccup. (It isn’t even a hiccup, just Dave second-guessing himself but it feels like a much bigger deal than it is.)

Klaus confesses almost immediately and after some negotiation with the DA, Dave is able to secure a sentence of ninety days in a state-funded rehab program.

“I thought you were meant to be one of the nice ones,” Klaus mutters, head low as he picks at his nails. The two of them are sat in one of the interview rooms, the only place in the precinct that offers a bit of peace and quiet.

Dave fights the urge to reach out to comfort him. “It’s the best deal I could strike. If this went to trial you would probably be looking at twelve months in prison.”

“Yeah well, at least I can get high in jail.” 

And Dave is by no means an expert on addiction, but he has worked a lot of drug-related cases with a significant portion being for addicts. “I know it’s an intimidating process and I know it’ll be difficult, but when it feels like it's too much, you just need to take one day at a time, minute by minute. If you try I’m sure you’ll come out the other side better for it.”

Klaus huffs and rolls his back to gaze aimlessly at the ceilings. “You sound just like Ben. And Diego, everyone for that matter,” he mutters before finally glancing at Dave out of the corner of his eye. “If he set you up to this tell him won’t work. Never has, never will.”

_The musky scent of burnt weed and tobacco fills the room and the air is thick with smoke._

_There’s a tattooist's chair in the middle of the room with a small crowd of soldiers dotted around. Dave loiters near the back of the group, watching patiently as some of them take turns getting inked up._

_The smoke seems to thicken as they mull about, showing off their new pieces. Some get classic pinup dolls or wild animals. The most common is a skull under a banner with their brigade designation. Half the men seem to have the matching emblem, but in the hazy atmosphere, it’s hard to tell._

_Klaus is loitering on the opposite side of the room, a fresh tattoo inked across his stomach, although Dave hasn’t had a decent look at it yet._

_The world melts away and Dave finds himself in a shoddy hotel room._

_Someone tugs at his arm and Dave finds himself getting pulled toward the bed. Klaus pushes him back onto the mattress and straddles Dave’s hips._

_“Like what you see?” He asks with a cocky grin as Dave brushes his fingers over their abdomen._

_He has a gorgeous gorgeous tattoo in the style of a Thai temple, intricately decorated with lotuses and incense burners. It’s new, that much is obvious from the redness surrounding the fine black lines._

_“It’s beautiful,” Dave breathes as he gently traces the artwork._

_His response earns a chuckle. “And what about the message?” Klaus asks with the tiniest hint of uncertainty in his voice._

_It was something he hadn’t noticed at first, the delicate lettering that fills the segments of the temple. “I love it,” he replies on instinct, even though he can’t read what the lettering says._

_He knew at one point, he can feel it. Something important and deeply personal. He just can’t remember what._

* * *

Dave tries to keep an eye for Klaus once he knows his stint in rehab is up, but it’s not like any old cop would let Klaus pick his own public defender, and Dave isn’t in the position to go cherry-picking the cases he works on either. At first, he hopes it’s a sign that Klaus is taking a step in the right direction until he catches word from Diego that he was using again within hours of getting discharged.

He shouldn’t expect anything, Dave understands that. Klaus doesn’t owe him anything, but he can’t help but feel a little disheartened that he hasn’t heard anything. Realistically speaking, even if Klaus wanted to reach out, Dave isn’t sure it would be possible. Klaus doesn’t have a phone, let alone Dave’s number, and it isn’t exactly likely that he remembered Dave’s address from the one time he was around. In fact, Dave has to remind himself that there’s a solid chance Klaus has just forgotten about Dave, after all, they've only crossed paths a couple of times. And, given how their last conversation went, even if Klaus _did_ remember it wouldn't be unfounded for him to hold a grudge against Dave.

But regardless of how Klaus might feel about him, Dave still finds himself thinking about him. Not in an obsessive way (at least he _hopes_ it not obsessive) but he’ll walk past a club and wonder if Klaus has been there before, or sometimes when he’s getting ready for bed he’ll hope that Klaus has somewhere safe and dry to spend the night.

Dave can’t help but miss Klaus’ presence in his life - everything just feels a little more mundane without him. Even the dreams seem to stop without him and Dave should _not_ be this attached to someone - a _client_ nonetheless _-_ who he’s only met three times. But Klaus is effervescent and Dave has felt hollow ever since they last saw each other.

Dave chucks his jacket onto the island that separates the kitchenette as he walks into his apartment after work. He flops onto the sofa and lets out a low sigh as he loosens his tie and top button, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. Work has been a drag the past few weeks and he’s been stuck working his way through a bunch of admin. 

He barely has time to relax when his phone starts ringing, but when he sees it’s Patch he settles back down. 

“What’s up?”

There’s a pause on the line before Patch speaks. “Dave?” she asks with surprise, like she wasn’t expecting him to answer.

“Um, yeah?”

“Shit, sorry. I’ve been trying to get through to Diego.”

“Is this a booty call?” Dave smirks, “I love you Dora but you know you're not my type.”

“No, I just - don’t worry,” she mutters and Dave knows in a heartbeat that something’s wrong. “Just, if you get a hold of Diego tells him to call me back asap.”

“Patch, what’s going on?” he pushes with concern.

“Nothing, I just wanted his help with something.”

“Anything I can do?”

“No, it's fine,” she says quickly, “just police stuff.”

“So you called Diego?”

There’s another pause, then a sigh. Dave can practically hear her drag her hand down her face. “Can you get to the motel on Calhoun?”

Dave nods as he jumps up, grabbing his coat and car keys, keeping his phone pressed to his ear with his shoulder as he does so. “Yeah, I’m leaving now.”

“It could get dangerous,” she warns. “You don't have to come.”

“Of course I do, just hang tight,” he replies before hanging up and quickly grabbing. his car keys. But before he leaves, he loiters in the doorway for just a second. He has an old handgun, an antique that’s been passed down from when his grandfather fought in the war. It’s useless, even if it had bullets it’s probably too rusted to fire. But from a distance, it looks real, so Dave quickly grabs it and shoves it unceremoniously in his pocket as he heads out. He isn’t sure what situation he’s going to be walking into, but if Patch is asking Diego for help it’s probably going to get dicey, the least he can do is look prepared. 

Patch is waiting outside the reception when Dave arrives, pacing back and forth anxiously. As soon as she spots him pull into the car park, she dashes over to meet him.

“What’s going on?” Dave asks as he steps out of the car.

“Diego’s brother’s gone missing. I think he’s being held here.”

“Klaus?”

Patch shrugs, “I don’t know. But these guys are serious. I think they’re ones behind the Meritech fire this morning, and all those recent shootouts.”

Dave nods along as he tries to steel himself. He doesn’t know much of the details, but it’s pretty hard to avoid the rumors and speculations about a string of mysterious shootings across the city. “So what’s the plan?” 

“I didn’t have a chance to get a warrant so this is all off the books. Just keep an eye out for marks, sounds, anything out of the ordinary. ”

“Okay, I’ll take the first floor, you take the ground?”

Patch nods, “yeah, just - be careful. If you find anything, grab me. _Don’t_ do anything stupid. Deigo should be here soon.”

Dave isn’t exactly sure what he should be looking for, he has never been trained for anything like this, but he keeps a careful eye on the walls and floor and tries to get a look inside any rooms with a crack in the curtains. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Patch working her way slowly from the other side. He takes a deep breath and hopes that where ever Diego is, he hurries the fuck up because Dave is in way over his head.

He’s about halfway around when he hears it. Faintly at first, but as he draws closer there is a definite banging coming from inside one of the rooms. Dave doesn’t have a plan, he doesn’t even have the full details but these guys have been racking up bodies.

_Don’t do anything stupid._

But Patch is on the other side of the car park and if Klaus - if anyone - is in trouble then he can’t just leave then Dave can’t just leave them. The idea of Klaus locked up in god knows what situation makes Dave feel sick. He could only have a couple of minutes before whoever is behind this notices, Dave can’t waste what might be their only chance.

There’s a cleaner nearby. She gives him the master key without a fuss when he flashes the gun and hurries away. (Maybe it’s not so useless after all.) 

He holds his breath as he slowly pushes open the door, gun held high and heart in his throat.

The first thing his eyes fall upon is Klaus, bloody and tied up, desperately trying to mumble something from behind a piece of duct tape. He’s dressed in nothing but a fur coat and dirty towel tied around his waist. 

Dave isn’t sure if it’s relief that washes over him from finding Klaus, or anguish at the thought of what he must have endured. Either way, he doesn’t have time to dwell on that right now. 

He drops to a crouch in front of Klaus and instantly starts untying the ropes that are holding Klaus down. “It’s okay, I’m here to help. The police are on their way, we’re going to get you home safe, okay?” He speaks gently, trying to reassure both Klaus and himself as he makes quick work of the bounds.

Klaus nods along to what Dave is saying, but he’s dazed and confused, can barely bring himself to look at Dave’s face as he rolls his head back. 

Then there's a noise from the bathroom and Dave is up in an instance, gun poised, body positioned between the bathroom and Klaus. He tries to steady his shaking hands as he keeps his eyes fixed on the bathroom door.

A man emerges. He’s tall and chubby, not exactly what Dave is expecting, but he complies when Dave orders him to drop the gun and get down on the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Klaus wiggle out the last of his bound, before ripping off the loose air vent and shimmying inside.

Dave lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Klaus is safe, Dave has the prep under his control. With any luck, Klaus will let Patch know as soon as he emerges, and then she can take over the situation.

And then a gunshot goes off.

The moment seems to stretch out forever as his brain tries to catch up with what's happening.

There’s a searing pain in his chest and he feels his knees buckle. 

_The smell of napalm lingers in the air and the night is thick with the smoke from the explosions and gunfire echoing around. It’s impossible to tell which side is winning, or whether or not they’ve engaged the enemy, or if this is friendly fire._ _  
_

_Something is wrong, something is_ very _wrong._ _  
_

_Klaus is next to him, shout something that could just as easily be an order or a joke, but Dave can’t hear him. He can’t focus on anything but the sudden burning in his chest._

He blinks slowly, view fading in and out of focus. His eyelids feel heavy as he tries in vain to keep them open. He hears Patch yelling in the distance, she sounds so far away, but a second later he sees her hovering above him, trying to talk to him but when he tries to respond she shushes him before he can say anything. 

_Someone’s screaming for a medic, a familiar voice echoing one that one word over and over, cutting through the rumble of gunfire. No one will come, deep down he knows that._ _  
_

_They’re under too much fire._ _  
_

_There isn’t enough time._

He’s vaguely aware of Patch pressing down on his chest. He thinks it should hurt but he can’t really feel it over the throbbing dull pain.

He can’t really feel anything. 

_“Hey, Dave, look at me okay?” Klaus is above him screaming something but Dave can’t hear over the gunfire. ”Hey-hey-hey, look at me, stay with me, okay?”_ _  
_

_He looks terrified and frantic, Dave wants nothing more than to cup his face in his hands, pull him close, and tell him that he loves him, that everything is going to be alright._

There are sirens in the background somewhere, red and blue lights flashing in and out of his vision. Patch is still talking. He can’t hear her over the rushing in his ears. There’s darkness creeping into his vision which really isn’t a good sign. He wants to fight it. He wants to sit up and tell Patch he’s fine and there’s no need to worry. He wants to find Klaus if only to make sure he didn’t back into the hands of those psychos.

But he can’t do any of that.

It feels like he’s drowning and he’s too exhausted to fight.

So he lets the darkness wash over him. 

_He can feel Klaus cupping his face, tapping his cheek with damps hands. “It’s okay. Please-please-please, stay with, Dave. Stay with me.”_ _  
_

_He tries to talk but all that comes out is a bloody choke._ _  
_

_His body aches with exhaustion and he’s fighting so hard to stay awake because Klaus is begging him to stay awake but he’s fighting a losing battle against the darkness seeping in._ _  
_

_The last thing he sees before he slips away is those beautiful green eyes._

* * *

Dave squints against a blinding light and it takes a minute for his brain to catch up. His chest burns with each breath, his body stiff and groggy but he’s alive.

The hospital room slowly comes into focus as his eyes slowly adjust to the light - clean white walls, beeping machines IV tubes. 

Someone squeezes his hand and he glances over to see the familiar face of his mum. She gives him a warm smile when he notices, one Dave can't help but try to mirror. “You gave us quite a scare there, ziskayt,” she says softly, leaning in to brushes his hair off his forehead. 

“I’m sorry, ma,” he croaks, his voice hoarse and scratchy.

“Don’t be,” she tuts. “The detective explained it all, about you saving your friend. That Klaus is very lucky to know you.”

Dave nods as she settles back into the chair by his bed. Dave tries to concentrate as she recounts all the well-wishes from his extended family, but his mind keeps wandering. He tries to think back to the shooting but it's muddled in his mind. Patch was there, and so was Klaus, but hadn't he seen Klaus escape just before? Why did he come back? And he remembers the night sky in the background which doesn't make any sense because he had been inside the motel room. It doesn't make any season and Dave can't seem to find the logical explanation in all of it.

Patch and Diego come by later that day to visit. Dave isn’t really up to much talking at the moment, not with the dull ache in his lungs paired with the drowsiness from whatever pain meds he’s on, but he’s content to sit back and listen as the two of them fill him in on what he missed. 

Patch explains what had happened at the motel. There had been two gunmen and Dave had walked straight into their trap. The police never caught them, but Diego assures him they were taken care of. 

And then Diego recounts what he's been up to with the Umbrella Academy - a fantastical tale about time travel, assassins, and the apocalypse _._

“Wait did you actually go back in time?” Dave asks in disbelief. “I just got shot, you can’t fuck with me.”

“Oh yeah, and Klaus took a little trip back before that. Spent a year fighting in Vietnam with his boyfriend apparently.”

Dave just stares at him, cogs turning in his brain. “Are you serious?”

Diego shrugs. “According to him.”

And just like that, all the pieces seem to fall into place. All the dreams about Klaus, the military, the fighting, the jungle, the tattoos. They weren’t just dreams.

And it feels crazy just to think it, but if time travel and superpowers are real, then who’s to say this isn’t.

Dave is only certain of one thing.

He has to find Klaus.

The opportunity doesn’t arise for a couple of weeks after the motel incident. His mum had insisted on staying with him for a few extra days after he had been discharged to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn’t keel over. Dave doesn’t really mind having her around, but sometimes it does feel like he has a very overbearing babysitter following him 24/7. When he finally convinces her that he’s not going to drop dead and to fly back to Wisconsin, the first thing he does with his newfound freedom is to hop into a taxi to the academy. 

As he makes his way up the steps to the front door of the Academy Dave doesn’t really know what to expect when he knocks on the door, it’s a very intimidating building – or maybe that’s just the prospect of seeing Klaus again and having no idea how the situation is going to swing.

Part of him regrets not getting Klaus something on the way over. His hand feels uncomfortably empty and it would have been nice to have something to fidget with to release some of his anxiety, but he couldn't think of anything appropriate to buy. It’s not like gift shops have a section for announcing that you think you’re someone’s dead boyfriend reincarnate. 

A blonde woman in a 1950’s-style green dress answers the door, it’s a look that seems very reminiscent of vintage housewives. “Can I help you?” She asks with a warm smile. 

Dave hesitates a second before clearing his throat and trying to match her polite smile. “I’m looking for Klaus Hargreeves, is he in?”

Her smile falters for a second. “Yes he is, he’s not in trouble again, is he? He can be such a little rascal sometimes.”

“Oh no, ma’am. I just need to - he’s an old friend.”

“Please, call me Grace,” she says as she steps aside to welcome Dave in. “I am glad you popped round,” Grace continues as she leads Dave through the mansion. “Poor dear’s been down ever since got back from that little trip with his siblings.”

Dave tries to keep up with her polite small talk but his mind is rushing at a hundred miles a minute, it’s hard to pay full attention to what she's saying. Dave has been going over this moment for weeks trying to decide what exactly to say to Klaus, all the possible way it could play out. What if Klaus has moved on and Dave is just dredging up unpleasant memories for no reason? What if he’s angry Dave didn’t find him earlier, or worse what if Dave has been wrong about the whole thing and Klaus has no idea who he is?

But all the ideas he has fly out of his mind when Grace knocks on his bedroom. “Klaus, honey, you have a visitor,” she calls as she gently pushes the door open.

He hears Klaus before he sees him, “yeah thanks, mum.” And _god_ has Dave missed the sound of his voice.

And then Grace has gone and Dave is left standing awkwardly in the doorway. 

Klaus is lounging over a pile of cushions on the floor sporting a pair of skinny maroon jeans and an oversized dress shirt. He’s staring at the ceiling, playing absentmindedly with a chain around his neck.

All Dave can do is just stand there in awe because it’s Klaus, _his_ Klaus. His hair is longer and he looks a little older - three years according to Diego - but it is undeniably Klaus. 

And then Klaus glances over and their eyes lock. For a moment it feels like the world has frozen. Dave is pretty certain he forgets to breathe as he gets lost in those sparkling eyes

But then Klaus is up like a shot, stumbling over his feet as he races across the room. Dave half expects Klaus to come crashing into his arms, but instead, Klaus comes to stop right in front of him like he is scared to touch him.

“Dave?” his voice comes out tentative and as soft as a whisper. 

And Dave just lets out a breath. He did have a game plan in mind before he came but his minds gone blank. 

Klaus stares at him a moment longer before suddenly jumping back. “Shit I’m sorry, that was weird. You just - you look just like someone I used to know,” he rambles. It dawns on Dave that his silence might have been misinterpreted and Klaus is having the same doubts that he’d had on the way over.

He steps forward to close the gap between them again. It’s enough to break Klaus' babbling and he just stares at him with those beautiful green eyes that are filled with such confusion and sadness and hope. His eyes fall on a familiar silver chain hanging around his neck. He reaches out for them but falters when Klaus flinches away on instinct. “Can I?” Dave asks gently. Klaus hesitated before giving a small nod and pulling out the dog tags from inside his shirt. 

“They belonged to my - someone very important to me,” he explains as Dave runs his fingers gently over the embossed lettering. 

And if that isn’t all the proof he needs this is all real he doesn’t know what is. 

“I know,” Dave says softly, “I’m glad you managed to hold onto them for me.”

A small whimper breaks out of Klaus at the words. “You - do you remember?” Klaus manages to choke out as Dave reaches up to gently brush away the tears that are spilling over. 

“You’re pretty hard to forget, sunshine.” 

Klaus lets out a watery laugh at the familiar pet name and that sound is like music to Dave's ears.

At that point Klaus does throw himself at Dave, wrapping his arms around his neck with enough force to send them both tumbling back.

Dave doesn’t react quick enough to stop them both falling to the floor - or the hiss of pain that escapes as they land. He was too caught up in his own head on the way to notice the growing ache in but, but all the walking and stairs did a number on him that caught up with him all at once.

It’s enough to panic Klaus as well who practically leaps out of Dave’s lap and scoots around to his side. “Shit, Dave, I’m sorry. Are you okay - I didn’t mean to -” he rambles, panic growing in his voice.

“It’s fine, I’m fine” Dave tries to reassure him, but Klaus’s eyes are locked onto his chest and in a moment a dread Dave realises that a sliver of gauze is poking out between his top undone shirt buttons and that - coupled with what would Klaus's last memory of them in Vietnam. “Klaus? Darling can you look at me?” he asks gently, resting his hand on Klau’s cheek to coax him up. 

Klaus’s gaze finally flickers back up but the fear is still evident. 

“I’m okay, I promise. You just winded me is all,” Dave says as he pulls Klaus back into a tight embrace. Klaus slowly relaxes into it, head resting on his shoulder. It doesn’t go unnoticed by Dave that his fingers linger on his pulse point. He doesn’t comment on it though, just pulls him forward to plant a kiss on Klaus's forehead.

“You’re really here,” Klaus whispers, so quiet that if Dave wasn’t so close he probably wouldn’t have heard him. 

“I’m really here,” Dave repeats.

Klaus pulls away every so slightly to reposition himself so the two of them are face to face, noses practically brushing against each other. And Dave can’t help leaning in to close the gap. 

It’s reminiscent of their first kiss in Saigon, hidden away in the backroom of a club. It’s soft and gentle, not as overly heated but more desperate and just as magical. Klaus can’t stop whispering his name against his lips and when Dave finally pulls away Klaus's cheeks are flushed and stained with tear tracks. 

A thought dawns on him. “I really hope your siblings aren’t home.” Because if they’re anything like Diego, they are not going to take well to finding them sat in the middle of the hallway making out. 

Klaus snickers and presses their foreheads together again, letting his fingers run through Dave's hair.

“How are you here, Dave?” He asks eventually, hand traveling to where the gauze is poking out from under Dave's shirt. “Is this from …?”

“No,” face answers quickly as Klaus trails off. “Different incident, but apparently I’m making a habit of it.” That comment earns a sharp glare from Klaus. “Sorry, bad joke.”

Klaus holds the frown for a moment longer before rising to his feet and offering Dave his hand. “All your jokes are bad” he huffs as he helps Dave to his feet. 

They settle on the bed - Dave propped up against the pile of pillows and Klaus tucked into his side, careful to avoid his bad side, and throws his legs over Daves lap. Dave keeps his arms looped around Klaus’s waist, running his thumb over an exposed slither of skin as he explains everything.

"Wait that was you the whole time?" Klaus's eyebrows furrow as he tries to comprehend what Dave is saying. "That was you with the police, at the motel, and I - I just left you?"

"That wasn't your fault, you didn't know."

"But I left you," Klaus pushes, "I didn't help, just like 'Nam and Dallas, I - I just ran way."

"That wasn't - wait Dallas?" Dave falters, "what happened in Dallas?"

Klaus drops his gaze and buries his face back in Dave’s shoulder. “I was there, in November ‘63.”

“Wait, did you…” he trails off. Diego had mentioned going back to the 60’s, but as Klaus talks it’s like more and more memories are getting unlocked, coming back in tiny little bursts. His uncle's hardware store in downtown Dallas, the JFK assassination, turning up at the enlistment office that afternoon - half dragged by Brian.

“I had this plan,” Klaus whispers, voice muffled that Dave could barely hear. “I was going to find you and convince you not to sign up.” Dave wraps his arms around him tighter as his voice breaks, “but I was too late and I couldn’t - I couldn’t save you, Dave.”

“Klaus, you know if I hadn’t joined, we wouldn’t have met.”

Klaus pulled back suddenly, looking Dave straight in the eye. “But you wouldn’t have died,” he says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world and with a determination that breaks Dave’s heart.

“Oh sunshine,” Dave says softly, taking Klaus’ face in his hands and gently sweeping away the tears with his thumb. “Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me in that life, I wouldn’t change that for the world.” Klaus sniffles but doesn’t say anything so Dave continues, “and I don’t really know what going on here, if reincarnation is real or if this is to do with some weird result of timeline meddling, but I do know I’m here with you now and that's all that matters.”

Klaus lets out a watery laugh. “Yeah, yeah you are.”

Dave can’t help but match the grin that’s broken out on Klaus’ face as he pulls him back in for another kiss and for the first time in a long time, everything feels like it’s fallen into place.

**Author's Note:**

> To clarify: this takes part in the nebulous AU where Klaus doesn't find dave in Dallas and screw up his timeline that way, and someone realises that telling Reggie everything about the future and the umbrella academy might not be the best idea either. 
> 
> Honestly, I'm sure how I feel about this - I ended up rushing parts bc I can't manage my time and I really wanted to finish it in time for Enklave fest. But either way I've churned out more writing in the past month since I have years? And if anything now I really want to get back into the swing of regularly writing fics. In terms of HIWTHI & Matryoshka - I don't want to give up them but I will probably end up reworking some major parts of HIWTHI just to make it a bit more compliant with S2 which will probably take a little while so maybe don't hold your breath (but I definitely haven't forgotten about it!!)  
> I also have a [ tumblr ](https://carry-on-my-wayward-hobbit.tumblr.com/) if you wanna hmu there


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